Letter, Rufus to "Sister" - Civil War
Object number1997.013.00
DateOctober 30, 1863
Mediumpaper and ink
Dimensions10 x 8 in. (25.4 x 20.3 cm)
Credit LineOld State House Museum Collection
Terms
Little Rock, Ark.
Oct. 30th, 1863
Dear Sister
Your [sic] very welcome letter of the 11th is just received and as I am at leisure, I will respond forthwith - I can forgive your negligence, if such as it is, provided it was unavoidable, although I certainly would be glad to get letters from you and other of my correspondents a little oftener [sic] as letters from friends are especially dear to one in the army, and help in a great degree to dispel the intruding loneliness of camp. However, as you know how much I prize your letters, and as I believe you will do all in your power towards promoting my happiness, I cannot but think that you will write of often as you can.
I received those stamps but have never heard whether you got the $40 money I sent from Memphis or not. I sent it by Express, and directed it to father. I wrote to father at the same time but never heard whether he got either the money of the letter.
I also wrote to you a few days since, and enclosed twenty dolls [sic], please let me know whether it was received or not.
I think it would be altogether better for you to go to school this winter than to attempt to teach, as the winters in Iowa are much to [sic] cold for a lady to teach in the country and on the prairie, besides the other objections you sing are quite sufficient I think to cause you to decide with me. If you are deficient in funds, you know that you are more than welcome to all the assistance I can give.
It is certainly a little strange that fathers [sic] health remains so nearly the same year after year. Life must be weary and painful to one so afflicted. Tell him that I don't want him to deny himself any comforts that the money I send home can procure, also that if he is able to write, I should be very glad to get a letter from, but I don't suppose he feel like writing much.
I advise you to cease thinking your letters either "dry" or "uninteresting" or that they require any "improvement" to make them acceptable. The only thing that I can complain of is that they are not more frequent visitors at the Pleasant Retreat!
It is true that there are many and peculiar temptations, to vice in the army, and it is no great wonder that many an unwary youth loses much of his original purity and returns home greatly deteriorated in morals. It requires great firmness and decision to retain ones [sic] morals, and especially that polish of manners (of civilized society I had almost said) of genteel society, unsullied amidst contact with so much of a corrupt nature. However, watchfulness and determination, and avoiding as much as possible all of an evil nature, united with a firm trust in God, a person can preserve their moral purity and finer qualities untarnished even here, and return to their friends more worthy their esteem than when they left. I had a letter from Esther a few days ago, written Sep. 2nd. Her health was very poor. She said she had not had a letter "from any of our folds for a long time" that she "had not written often lately because she had not felt like it" and that she didn't want us to think she had forgotten us. The children were well. Mary wrote me a few lines. Emerson had gone to the mines with some flour, had been gone five weeks, would return home when he sold. They still live at Dalles City.
It has been very rainy a day or two past. Today is pretty cool, which makes it desirable to have the door closed, and as the workmen in building our house unfortunately neglected to put a window in it, I am compelled to write with a rather meager light, which may be an excuse for any irregularities in writing.
A Reg. of Cavalry has just been organized here from the people of this state, besides a number of other companies of various kind. Many of them have been in the rebel army but became convinced that they were in the "wrong cause" and left it. One of them with whom I talked said he would have staid [sic] with the rebels longer but he found out that we were fighting in the same cause that he thought he had been fighting in and so he left them. The river is very low but has risen a little since the rain.
Calvin is well, my health continues good. One of my correspondents seems to think that I have been singularly favored with good health". I should like to write more but time and space will not admit, as I have nearly filled this sheet, and the drums are beating for Dress Parade.
Please write often. My love to all.
Goodbye
Your loving brother,
Rufus
Status
Not on view
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